In communication systems, signals are often transmitted from a communication device to a remote communication device via a wireless medium. These communication devices typically employ a transceiver including a transmitter for transmitting signals and a receiver for receiving signals. In many cases, the transceiver is operated continuously whether or not signals are being transmitted or received. In some cases, operating a transceiver in a continuous manner may be acceptable. However, in other cases, such as when a limited power source (e.g., a battery) is used, this may not be desirable since the transceiver may not be able to operate continuously for long periods.
For instance, many communication devices are portable devices, such as cellular telephones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, and other portable communication devices. These portable communication devices typically rely on a limited power source, such as a battery, to perform the various intended operations. A limited power source typically has a continuous use life that depends on the amount of power used by the portable device. It is generally desirable to extend the continuous use life as much as possible. Accordingly, portable communication devices are more frequently designed for improved power efficiency.
One technique for operating a transceiver in a more power efficient manner is to use pulse-based modulation and multiple access techniques to transmit and receive signals. In such a system, a transmitter may be operated in a relatively high power consumption mode during the transmission of a pulse signal. However, when the transmitter is not being used to transmit the pulse signal, it is operated in a relatively low power consumption mode in order to conserve power. Similarly, in such a system, a receiver may be operated in a relatively high power consumption mode during the reception of a pulse signal, and in a relatively low power consumption mode when the pulse signal is not being received.
As discussed above, these types of transceivers typically use pulse modulation to communicate data between devices, and orthogonal hopping pulse sequences to distinguish user devices. These types of modulation and device differentiating techniques typically rely on precise timing of the transmission and reception of pulses in order to effectuate the communication of data and the discerning of the data's originator. Accordingly, ensuring the precise timing of the transmission and reception of pulses by a transceiver is of concern.